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Author Guest Post: “On Writing the Unexpected Narrator” by Jordan Kopy, Author of Theodora Hendrix and the Monstrous League of Monsters

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“On Writing the Unexpected Narrator”

My debut middle grade novel, Theodora Hendrix and the Monstrous League of Monsters, follows the adventures of one Theodora Hendrix, who isn’t your average ten-year-old: her best friend is a talking, top-hat-wearing tarantula named Sherman. She reads torat cards (think tarot cards, but magical). Oh, and she lives in a haunted mansion full of monsters, breaking Headquarters’ Number One Rule: Keep Monsters Hidden from Humans.  When a series of anonymous letters threatens to reveal her secret, Theodora must follow a series of clues to track down the source. If she fails, Theodora will be sent to live with humans (the horror, the horror!) and her family will end up in the Deepest, Darkest Prisons of Transylvania. Forever.

Like many authors, I’m often asked where I got the idea for this book. The story goes like this: my mom and I were watching one of our favorite movies, “My Cousin Vinny”.  Fred Gwynne, who played the judge, also played Herman Munster on “The Munsters”, a black and white television show from the 1960s. That fact must have been in my head – probably because my mom mentioned it a dozen-odd times – when I went to sleep, because I woke up the next morning with the idea for a story about a ten-year-old girl being raised by a bumbling family of monster superheroes. I jumped out of bed and grabbed my laptop; two hours later, I had written the book’s opening chapters. Over the next few days, I outlined the plot – at least, I knew where the story started and how it ended, sketched out my ensemble cast of characters, and sorted out the book’s main themes. But what I hadn’t sorted out was my narrator.

Choosing the narrator is one of the most critical decisions an author makes when crafting their story, as this is the vehicle by which your tale is relayed to your reader. There’s much to consider:

For starters, who is the narrator – who’s telling us this story? It can be anyone, really – the main character, a third party, an animal sidekick…When thinking through the various options, considering point of view can be super helpful: most novels typically employ first or third person point of view. In first person, the narrator is directly involved in the story, sharing the events that occurred according to their own recollection or experience, using “I” or “we” to describe the action. A well-known example of this is the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan. In third person, the narrator isn’t directly involved in the story, using “he”, “she”, or “they” to describe the action. Third person is often (but not always!) omniscient, meaning that the narrator is all-knowing. A (very!) well-known example of this is the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling. Along with point of view, the narrator’s perspective – i.e., their individual perceptions of and interactions with the world at large – should also be considered: a narrator whose perception differs from that of the main character will provide a different experience than one in which a similar worldview is shared. Together, point of view and perception can help to define the best narrator for a given tale; the former tells us the “what”, the latter the “how”.

I had no clear sense of my narrator when I first started writing Theodora Hendrix and the Monstrous League of Monsters. So, I started thinking about perspective and point of view – and kept waffling between the two. I liked the intimacy of first person as it allows readers to experience events with the main character – a technique which is particularly successful with young readers who can, perhaps, more easily envision themselves in that character’s shoes. In contrast, I liked the omniscience of third person as allows the narrator to hint at things yet to come which the main character couldn’t possibly know; this works especially well in novels in which there’s some degree of mystery, which I knew my story would have. In the end, I decided to take a (perhaps not so small) risk and combine the two. The result is a rather unexpected narrator:

In the prologue and the epilogue, my narrator’s point of view is first person. He often breaks the fourth wall, speaking directly to the reader. He’s also mysterious: he declines to introduce himself at the beginning of the tale, stating that his identity is for him to know and “for you to find out”; it is only on the very last page that he finally reveals himself. In contrast, the main body of the novel is largely relayed in deep third person, where the narrator closely mimics Theodora’s perspective. To bridge the gap between the two, he occasionally interrupts the story, breaking the fourth wall to share his own thoughts and insights directly with the reader.

To make this process a little less painful going forward, I’ve made myself a “narrator checklist” which I peruse whenever I begin a new manuscript. Some of the questions I consider are:

  1. Who is telling this story? Is it one person or multiple people?
  2. Why are they telling it and not someone else?
  3. Where do they stand in relation to the story – are they directly involved in the action or observing it from the outside?
  4. What information do readers need to follow the plot, and who can best convey this to them?
  5. Comparatively, what information should be withheld or obscured or obscured from readers, allowing for potential misdirection?

Sometimes, choosing a narrator is a matter of trial and error. If the plotting is tight, the characters well-developed, and the pacing appropriate, it may be worth taking another look at your narrator. Changing the point of view and perspective can feel more than a little overwhelming, but it’s worth it in the end: the right narrator can make all the difference.

Published July 16th, 2024 by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

About the Book: If you think monsters don’t exist, just ask Theodora Hendrix. The start of a brilliantly funny new series, perfect for fans of Amelia Fang.
The first rule of the Monstrous League of Monsters is: Keep monsters hidden from humans. But when zombie George and his cat companion Bandit find an abandoned baby, they can’t leave her to be eaten by hobgoblins. So they spirit her home where she quickly becomes part of the family. Fast-forward ten years, and young Theodora doesn’t seem too scarred by her monstrous upbringing. But now a series of anonymous letters suggest that someone is about to reveal their secret. If Theodora doesn’t act fast, she may lose her family for ever…

“Readers will be irresistibly drawn into the captivating world of Kopy‘s monster-filled middle-grade novel, where the promise of tantalizing secrets sets the stage for adventure. …a delightful blend of whimsy and mystery … lively characters and light mystery, the narrator imparts a particularly mischievous charm, with cheeky asides…With playful, comical illustrations reminiscent of the Addams Family that vividly bring the scenes and characters to life, this delightful, cheeky romp is ideal for those who relish eerie tales with a humorous twist.” – Booklist

About the Author: Jordan Kopy is a born and raised New Yorker who now lives in London with her husband and poorly behaved (but lovable) cat. A financial services professional by day (no idea how that happened), Jordan spends her nights with ghouls, witches, and the occasional evil hag. She’s also the author of Theodora Hendrix and the Curious Case of the Cursed Beetle and Theodora Hendrix and the Snare of the Shadowmongers.

Thank you, Jordan, for this post looking at the process of choosing a narrator!

Author Guest Post & Giveaway!: “Crafting Multi-dimensional Characters” by A. Kidd, Author of Yasuko and the Dream Eater

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“Crafting Multi-dimensional Characters”

When I visit schools, part of my presentation includes a character sketch activity with students. Not only is it fun and interactive, but building a character forms the basis on which the rest of your story revolves around. Even with an intriguing plot, you still need a dynamic character to follow. Someone you can relate to and root for. We all know the cliches: the princess, the knight, the dragon. But sometimes it’s good to mix it up a little. The princess knight or, better yet, the princess dragon is far more interesting.

This concept works well with my new picture book, Yasuko and the Dream Eater, which is inspired by a Japanese legend about the dream eater, who eats bad dreams when called 3 times. What makes this character so unusual is that traditionally it is made up of five different animals. It has the head and trunk of an elephant, the eyes and ears of a rhino, the tail of an ox, the arms and legs of a tiger, and the belly of a bear. It also has a curly mane that looks like a lion, although it isn’t part lion. Some kids think it is part unicorn, because the mane has blue and pink colors shimmering within it.

We talk about culture and diversity, and how having multiple backgrounds makes you unique. Just like my main character, Yasuko, is both Japanese and American, the dream eater is made up of many different animals.  And just like a character can be a cat or a dog or a mouse, it could also be made up of all these animals, which would be unique indeed! In the story, Yasuko feels different when visiting her grandmother in Japan. Making the origami crane is not the same as making paper airplanes at home in America. She also misses her goodnight hug from her parents. In Japan, family members often pat children on the head to show affection rather than offer a hug at bedtime. By the end, Yasuko learns that she can connect to her grandmother in other ways, and that clasping hands together can also feel like a tiny hug. So with our own stories, we can seek to not only show how our characters are unique but why that makes them special.

Try this with your students: Using a large pad of paper or wipe board, ask your students to name 5 creatures (including animals, mythical beings, robots, aliens, etc.) List those on the board, then talk about at least one defining trait for each. Then it is your turn (or perhaps another student can volunteer) to make up a new animal or creature based on all 5 listed. This is where it gets interesting! But kids love to see the results. They can also each draw one on their own. Or for younger children, you can provide puzzle piece cutouts of different animals, split in 3 pieces. Children can take turns making new, mixed up animals, by rearranging the animal parts.

Take it one step further: You can also talk about the basic elements of story. Students often ask me where to start when writing. All they really need to know is who their character is, what they want, and what gets in the way. You can often accomplish this by establishing what your character’s interests are as well as what scares them. One group of students said their character, who looked like a dust bunny, liked to play with Barbies but was afraid of cheese. Now this may sound silly, but the basis of many great stories starts with asking the question, What if? What if the dust bunny wanted to play with her Barbies, but a hunk of sharp cheddar cheese left by a mouse was guarding the dolls. How can she surpass the obstacle to get what she wants?

Creating dynamic characters goes beyond physical traits. They can have brown hair and blue eyes or blue hair and brown eyes, but we also need to know their personality. That is where learning their likes and dislikes comes in, as well as how they behave and why. It’s especially important to move beyond the cliché. You can have a main character who wants to be in the talent show, but the villain or antagonist is a bully preventing them from joining. What if you turned it around and made the main character the bully instead? Or try giving your character two opposing qualities that they are battling with throughout the book. We can go back to the princess knight who wants to fight dragons but also wear fancy dresses. Maybe she isn’t allowed to go to the ball unless she puts down her sword and forgoes her helmet. Or the dragon princess who isn’t accepted because she’s green and has scales and doesn’t fit the stereotypical look of what a princess should be. This would form an internal struggle as well as an external struggle. Just like Yasuko in my book, how can your characters learn to accept both parts of themselves?

I think the key is to teach kids that we’re all basically complex characters in our own lives. And none of us wants to be judged, liked, or disliked based on just one trait. So if we create more interesting and complex characters in our stories, we’ll be representing a more diverse and realistic picture of the world. The more intriguing and unique our characters are, the more fascinating their stories will be, and the more likely readers will want to turn pages to find out what happens to them. Especially because the stories we read can help us learn something about our own lives and how to move about and thrive in a complex world.

GIVEAWAY!

A. Kidd author would be delighted to give away one copy of her new book, Yasuko and the Dream Eater. To participate, simply leave a comment on this blog post and a contact email. One lucky winner will be chosen at random. You must reside in the US.

Published April 11th, 2023 by Quiet Storm Publishing

About the Book: Yasuko has the same bad dream every night while visiting her grandmother in Japan, so her grandmother suggests she call the dream eater for help. When the dream eater is still hungry after devouring Yasuko’s nightmare, Yasuko must stop it from gobbling up her good dream too.

Inspired by a Japanese legend, Yasuko and the Dream Eater will help kids dealing with nightmares as well as celebrate what it means to be part of a bicultural family. The book is fully illustrated and includes an author’s note, cultural note, and instructions for making origami.

About the Author: A. Kidd lives in the US but has travelled to Japan many times to visit family and for sightseeing. Japan feels like her second home. Although she dreams often, she hasn’t needed to call the baku yet. She is also the author of the middle grade fantasy, The Healing Star.

A. Kidd is available for author visits! For more information, please email her at a.kiddwrites@gmail.com or visit her website at www.akiddwrites.com. She loves to inspire young writers. Her motto is, if A. Kidd can do it, so can they!

Thank you for this fun activity, examples, and the GIVEAWAY!

Author Guest Post: “Living a Multicultural Life: A Book List” by Kara H.L. Chen, Author of Asking for a Friend

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“Living a Multicultural Life”

First and second generation Americans face the unique challenge of having to navigate between the culture of their (or their parents’) county of origin and those of America. For children and teens, especially, the tension that can come from the clash of these worldviews can be confusing and difficult.

Middle grade and young adult books that explore these differences in perspectives, and which discuss how characters deal with these conflicts, may provide some comfort for those in the same situation. In my book, ASKING FOR A FRIEND, the main character, Juliana Zhao, has spent her life trying to follow her Taiwanese mother’s guidance for “success” but soon comes to realize that it may not lead to what she truly wants.

Here are some other books that explore what it means to grow up with more than one culture (book descriptions provided by the publishers):

LILY XIAO SPEAKS OUT – Nicole Chen

Lily Xiao can’t wait to go to Camp Rock Out this summer, where she’ll finally be able to shed her “class robot” good girl reputation and start her journey to becoming the next Eddie Vedder! And she can’t wait to do it with her best friend and cousin, Vivian, who’s just moved from Taiwan to Lily’s California hometown.

But as the two cousins work their way through seventh grade, Vivian struggles more and more with her schoolwork, which is all taught in English. If Vivian can’t get her grades up, her parents won’t let her go to rock camp.

Determined to help, Lily embarks on a mission to push their school to provide more support for English-as-a-Second-Language learners like Vivian. But her first-generation immigrant family is nervous about Lily challenging the status quo. We should be grateful to be here, they always say.

With Camp Rock Out on the line, Lily will need to decide how far she’ll push against her family’s wishes in order to stand up and speak out.

IN THE BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY – Jane Kuo

Anna can’t wait to move to the beautiful country—the Chinese name for America. Although she’s only ever known life in Taiwan, she can’t help but brag about the move to her family and friends.

But the beautiful country isn’t anything like Anna pictured. Her family can only afford a cramped apartment, she’s bullied at school, and she struggles to understand a new language. On top of that, the restaurant that her parents poured their savings into is barely staying afloat. The version of America that Anna is experiencing is nothing like she imagined. How will she be able to make the beautiful country her home?

This lyrical and heartfelt story, inspired by the author’s own experiences, is about resilience, courage, and the struggle to make a place for yourself in the world.

RUBI RAMOS’S RECIPE FOR SUCCESS – Jessica Parra

Graduation is only a few months away, and Rubi Ramos’s “recipe for success” to get into prestigious Alma University is already off track.

When Alma waitlists Rubi’s application, Rubi will need to be distraction-free to make the grade and keep her parents―who have wanted this for her for years―from finding out. Which means falling for her cute surfer-slash-math tutor, Ryan, definitely won’t work. And neither will breaking her mother’s ban on baking―her parents didn’t leave Cuba so she could bake just like them.

But some recipes are begging to be tampered with.

When the First Annual Bake Off comes to town, Rubi’s passion for baking goes from subtle simmer to full boil. Add to the mix her crush on Ryan may be turning into a full-fledged relationship and Rubi’s life is suddenly so different from what it was. She’s not sure if she has what it takes to win the Bake Off, or where the relationship with Ryan is going, but there’s only one way to find out―even if it means going against her parents’ priorities.

Now Rubi must differentiate between the responsibility of unfulfilled dreams she holds and finding the path she’s meant for.

A joyful novel of first romance, new possibilities, and the chance to define yourself, Rubi Ramos’s Recipe for Success will find its way into your heart.

THE LOVE MATCH – Priyanka Taslim

Zahra Khan is basically Bangladeshi royalty, but being a princess doesn’t pay the bills in Paterson, New Jersey. While Zahra’s plans for financial security this summer involve working long hours at Chai Ho and saving up for college writing courses, Amma is convinced that all Zahra needs is a “good match,” Jane Austen style.

Enter Harun Emon, who’s wealthy, devastatingly handsome, and…aloof. As soon as Zahra meets him, she knows it’s a bad match. It’s nothing like the connection she has with Nayim Aktar, the new dishwasher at the tea shop, who just gets Zahra in a way no one has before. So, when Zahra finds out that Harun is just as uninterested in this match as she is, they decide to slowly sabotage their parents’ plans. And for once in Zahra’s life, she can have her rossomalai and eat it too: “dating” Harun and keeping Amma happy while catching real feelings for Nayim.

But life—and boys—can be more complicated than Zahra realizes. With her feelings all mixed up, Zahra discovers that sometimes being a good Bengali kid can be a royal pain.

LOVEBOAT, TAIPEI – Abigail Hing Wen

“Our cousins have done this program,” Sophie whispers. “Best kept secret. Zero supervision.”

And just like that, Ever Wong’s summer takes an unexpected turn. Gone is Chien Tan, the strict educational program in Taiwan that Ever was expecting. In its place, she finds Loveboat: a summer-long free-for-all where hookups abound, adults turn a blind eye, snake-blood sake flows abundantly, and the nightlife runs nonstop.

But not every student is quite what they seem:

Ever is working toward becoming a doctor but nurses a secret passion for dance.

Rick Woo is the Yale-bound child prodigy bane of Ever’s existence whose perfection hides a secret.

Boy-crazy, fashion-obsessed Sophie Ha turns out to have more to her than meets the eye.

And under sexy Xavier Yeh’s shell is buried a shameful truth he’ll never admit.

When these students’ lives collide, it’s guaranteed to be a summer Ever will never forget.

And my newest book, publishing July 23rd:
ASKING FOR A FRIEND – Kara H.L. Chen

Juliana Zhao is absolutely certain of a few things:

  1. She is the world’s foremost expert on love.
  1. She is going to win the nationally renowned Asian Americans in Business Competition.

When Juliana is unceremoniously dropped by her partner and she’s forced to pair with her nonconformist and annoying frenemy, Garrett Tsai, everything seems less clear. Their joint dating advice column must be good enough to win and secure bragging rights within her small Taiwanese American community, where her family’s reputation has been in the pits since her older sister was disowned a few years prior.

Juliana always thought prestige mattered above all else. But as she argues with Garrett over how to best solve everyone else’s love problems and faces failure for the first time, she starts to see fractures in this privileged, sheltered worldview.

With the competition heating up, Juliana must reckon with the sacrifices she’s made to be a perfect daughter—and whether winning is something she even wants anymore.

“A swoonworthy, heart-wrenching view into the trials of growing up second generation in an immigrant community.” – Kirkus Reviews

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About the Author: Kara H.L. Chen is a Taiwanese American writer who received her MFA in fiction from Brooklyn College. She is the author of LOVE & RESISTANCE (Quill Tree/HarperCollins, 2023) and ASKING FOR A FRIEND (Quill Tree/HarperCollins, 7/23/24). Her website is at karahlchen.com or you can find her on Instagram and Twitter/X @hl_kara or @karahlchen on Substack.

Thank you, Kara, for this list of must reads!

Author Guest Post: “How to Read a Horse” by Amy Novesky, Author of If You Want to Ride a Horse

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“How to Read a Horse””

My picture book IF YOU WANT TO RIDE A HORSE is about the dream of riding a
horse. It’s also about writing one. I am a rider and a writer. (If you say them aloud they sound alike!)

I’ve been writing and riding—and dreaming!—since I was kid. Writing and riding both are rich in metaphor. Whether one wants to ride a horse or not, IF YOU WANT TO RIDE A HORSE can be read as a book about dream making of all kinds.

What do you want to do? What’s your dream? Name it, call it into being.
What does your dream look like? Imagine it, the big stuff and all the pretty little details.

This is the fun part. Write it down and/or draw it. Tell it to someone you trust. What do you need for your dream? Learn about it, ask for help, gather all the tack and tools.

Take care of your dream. Shelter it, feed it, groom it ‘till it shines. How do you keep your dream alive? How do you care for it?

Where does your dream live? Where is it? How will you get there? What is the first
step?

Dreams are hard work. You might have to chase after it, wrangle it, tame it a bit, find the right fit. With grace and grit you’ll wear it.

Okay, it’s time to give this dream a try. Are you ready?

Show up. This is the hard part. Facing your thousand-pound dream. What are you
feeling? Is your heart galloping? It’s natural to feel many things all at once, even—and
maybe especially—fear. What do you fear most? Failing? Falling off? You are not alone.

If you fall off your dream, and you might, will you walk away, hang up your hat? Or will you get back in the saddle, bruised butt and ego, take hold of the reins again and ride on?

Whatever you dream, be brave. Calm. Remember to breathe and have fun! You can do this. Before you know it, you will have your dream eating out of the palm of your hand.

Published March 12th, 2024 by Neal Porter Books/Holiday House

About the Book: What’s the most important first step to riding a horse? Simply closing your eyes . . . and dreaming.

If You Want to Ride a Horse introduces young readers to the joys of owning, riding, and caring for horses. It only starts with imagination—from there, the possibilities are endless.

Beginning with a daydream, our young rider goes from dreaming about a horse, choosing their ideal kind of horse, meeting their horse, cleaning their horse, tacking up in preparation to ride, soothing their horse (and themselves) through a hard moment, triumphantly getting on, and finally galloping gloriously off into the sunset.

If You Want to Ride a Horse celebrates the imagination, the most powerful steed of all.

The book includes an author’s note, an illustrator’s note, and fun facts about horses and horseback riding.

About the Author: Amy Novesky’s award-winning picture books include IF YOU WANT TO RIDE A HORSE; GIRL ON A MOTORCYCLE; and CLOTH LULLABY, THE WOVEN LIFE OF LOUISE BOURGEOIS. THE POET AND THE BEES will follow in 2025 and TO WANDER, thereafter. Amy writes and rides in the Marin Headlands, just north of San Francisco. To learn more, visit www.amynovesky.com and follow @amynovesky.

Thank you, Amy, for sharing the power of dreams!

Author Guest Post: “Guide Them like Lighthouses to the Shores of Success” by Preston Norton, Author of The House on Yeet Street

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“Guide Them like Lighthouses to the Shores of Success”

When I was in second grade, I considered myself to be the dumbest kid in my class. I came to this rather tragic realization when my teacher instituted a math exercise where we would be given a sheet of fairly simple math equations and a time limit. Those who finished the series of equations before the time was up received a sticker that was placed in front of our name on a very pretty poster board display. Every successful completion within the time limit resulted in another sticker. Some of my classes finished every single math quiz within the time limit and had the unstoppable line of stickers to prove it. Other kids missed the occasional day, but overall, had a fairly mean lineup of stickers. There were other kids still who struggled but achieved the occasional sticker, and I’m sure the few they possessed meant a great deal to them.

And then there was poor, dumb Preston who had not a sticker in the world.

At this point, my teacher must have realized her error because she began the practice of “skipping” days. Whenever she skipped a day—and we did not have one of these timed math quizzes—everyone got a sticker. I finally had my sticker. There was only one problem: I knew I hadn’t earned it. As the school year progressed, more and more of these “skip days” occurred, and before I knew it, I had enough stickers to hide from the untrained eye the fact that I had not earned a single one of these on my own. None of my second grade peers made fun of me for how few stickers I had. But that didn’t change the fact that I had earned a tremendous new bully: myself. Nothing tanks one’s self-esteem more than knowing you’re the dumbest kid in the class and having the stickers (or lack thereof) to prove it.

I wish I could tell you that this was the origin story of how I went on to become the world’s greatest mathematician. Alas, this is not that story. I wager my math skills to this day are only marginally better than the fifth graders to whom I teach (environmental science). Math is not something I was born to be good at. This is not to say I think one needs to be born good at something in order to succeed at it. But I do think we are born with innate interests and desires. And the sooner we can key into what these things are, the sooner we can unleash a world of potential, either in ourselves, or—in the case of teachers—from these young minds whom rely so deeply upon the light of our learning. As teachers, we can—and should—guide them like lighthouses to the shores of success. Now I realize, as a children’s author, that I am a somewhat biased source, but I can think of no better beacon than the power of literacy and books.

Flash forward to the Scholastic Book Fair.

As a second grader—even one with zero stickers (real ones anyway)—the allure of the Scholastic Book Fair was powerful. Born into a relatively low-income family, I had enough money to buy one book—a single book—and as such, I had to make it count. The book I settled on was one about dinosaurs. I was probably eight years old. Of course, I liked dinosaurs. This purchase was made purely on the appeal of the cover with absolutely no understanding of the sort of book I was walking into. And that was nonfiction. Now, as someone who adores nonfiction, I can tell you with certainty that I was ill-equipped with the literacy required to tackle such a read. What essentially happened was I would “read” the words on the page and have zero comprehension of what I’d just read. It was the most surface level act of reading with none of the understanding behind it. This could have been a relatively painless failure, if not for my cousin Tobin—in the same grade as me—who bought the exact same book as me. And let me tell you, he was simply gushing with newly learned dinosaur facts. Hey, Preston, did you know that a stegosaurus was roughly 30 feet long, weighed 11,000 pounds, but only had a brain the size of a dog’s? Oof. I suddenly felt a terrible kinship to stegosauri.

Needless to say, I felt pretty defeated. The thought occurred that if couldn’t even understand a book someone else my age was reading for enjoyment, I might never amount to anything. This is a terrible thing for an eight-year-old to feel.

I may have been my own worst enemy, but I did have someone in my court: my mom. As a lover of books and even writing, she knew I had the desire to read—even if I hadn’t found the right book just yet. With that said, she’d heard a thing or two about this spooky book series called Goosebumps. And so, as I entered the third grade, to a brand-new school, a new start, and a slightly lower than normal self-esteem, she hooked me up with my very first one: Goosebumps #2: Stay Out of the Basement.

Holy f***ing s***! What the f*** was I reading? I had no idea—it was weird as s***—and I was here for it. Their dad was a f***ing plant monster thing? Hell yeah! And thus, I fell down the slippery slope of a book series with just way too many books and where every chapter ends on a cliffhanger.

I wasn’t long before my mom had realized her child’s sudden new hobby was about to get expensive. And so, without further ado, she introduced me to the library. While there were plenty of Goosebumps to spare, I burned through these faster than a teenage boy burns calories. At a certain point, I was forced to redirect my attention elsewhere. I had a great science fiction run with the works of Bruce Coville. But perhaps no chapter book had a greater impact on me than Bunnicula: A Rabbit-Tale of Mystery (1979).

The premise is this: a family called the Monroes has a pet dog, Harold (the narrator), a pet cat named Chester (a vaguely paranoid orange tabby who loves literature and milk), and a brand-new pet rabbit—the titular Bunnicula—who may or may not be “sucking the life” out of vegetables. I can tell you the exact moment when this novel changed my life. Keep in mind that this is a recollection of events from the nostalgia-fueled memory of a thirty-eight-year-old, who has not reread the novel since they first read it as an eight-year-old (give or take). Picture this: Chester, jealous of all the attention the family bunny has been receiving of late, is contemplating an attempt on Bunnicula’s life. After reading that vampires can be slain by pounding a stake through their heart, Chester interprets this murder weapon as a juicy slab of steak, which he removes from the fridge, proceeds to throw on top of the bunny, and then hops on top of it, attempting to somehow pound it through this poor rabbit’s heart.

“I think it’s supposed to be sharp?” Harold asks (according to my memory).

“Of course, it’s sharp,” says the version of Chester who lives rent-free in my head. “It’s sirloin.”

Somehow, someone had forgotten to pass on the memo to me that books could be funny. This was undoubtedly the funniest thing I had ever read. To this day, it might still be! And it was in this moment, when a moment of humor conveyed through written word irrevocably tripped a dopamine neurotransmitter in my brain, flooding it with hysterical euphoria, that I came to a life-altering realization: I wanted to write.

When I was maybe eleven years old, I attempted to write my first novel. It was about a dog and a cat who get lost in Australia and befriend a dingo. I maybe wrote a chapter or two before I quit. Whether or not it was a good chapter or two is inconsequential. What it was instead was an important chapter or two—perhaps the most important chapter or two I’ve ever written—because it taught me one of the most powerful lessons that eleven-year-old me could learn: I could write. I could tell a story. I had stories inside of me that I wanted to tell.

When I was fourteen years old, I made another attempt, this time in the fantasy genre, of which I was growing quite fond. I got further this time; wrote more pages, more chapters. Did not finish.

I made another attempt again when I was sixteen years old, and this was an important one. Because I did not stop. I kept writing. Maybe on and off, but I kept on going, even when I turned seventeen.

When I was eighteen years old, I finished the novel that I started when I was sixteen: a high fantasy novel called The Mark of Mekken, starring a young protagonist named Aidan Cross. Once more, whether it was good or not is far less consequential than how important it is to me. Amidst my (failed) attempts to publish it, I asked for publishing advice in a fan letter I wrote Christopher Paolini, of whom I was a big fan at the time. Paolini’s success at such a young age was endlessly inspirational to me. To my surprise and delight, Paolini wrote me three pages of letters back in encouragement. Oh, and he also recommended me to his agent, Dan Lazar, who would keep an eye out for my manuscript! I’ll spare you the suspense: Dan Lazar did not sign on to represent my novel. But he did write me the most encouraging rejection letter I have ever received, particularly in regard to my protagonist, Aidan, whom he hoped would succeed on his journey.

Some eagle-eyed readers might recognize that my major middle grade debut, a queer ghost story called The House on Yeet Street—to be published August 27, 2024 by Union Square Kids—also features a protagonist named Aidan Cross. This is not by coincidence. The House on Yeet Street might be middle-grade horror—perhaps not so distant from the Goosebumps stories that inspired it and, indeed, changed my life—but it is also a story about creativity and identity and how closely the two intertwine. In The House on Yeet Street, my thirteen-year-old MC, Aidan Cross is writing a fantasy love story starring a fictional version of his best friend, Kai Pendleton—reimagined as a merman named Kai Pendragon—and a genderbending version of himself named Nadia (Aidan spelled backwards). When I originally pitched this MG book idea to my agent and editor, it was with three other ideas, two of which I was convinced would be selected over it. Not only was I surprised that The House on Yeet Street floated to the top, but I was also elated, especially as it has easily turned into the personal favorite and possibly most personal of all my novels. It has also caused me to reflect on the version of Aidan Cross I wrote all those years ago and the queer subtext I may or may not have fully understood in his story and my own.

I know what you’re thinking: what does this have to do with teachers? To which I would reply: everything! I would also pose the question: who is a teacher? Or better yet: who can be a teacher? To which I would reply: everyone. A teacher can be a mom, an author, even a literary agent. I believe a teacher can even be a book—even one about monster plant dads and vampire bunnies. What better teacher than the one who is born inside a child’s mind? There is a reason evil and ignorant people across the nation are organizing to ban books—of all things—from children, even as the whole entire internet sits at their fingertips. It is much easier to stop a child from becoming literate and learning to think independently—by carefully censoring and curating their access to literature and ideas—than it is to stop a young person from thinking for themself once they have learned how to do so.

To teachers, to librarians, to every adult with a child in their life: don’t stop shining your light. These children see you. These children need you.

The future needs you.

Publishing August 27th, 2024 by Union Square & Co.

About the Book: A hilarious ghost story about a group of thirteen-year-old boys whose friendship is tested by supernatural forces, secret crushes, and a hundred-year-old curse.

When Aidan Cross yeeted his very secret journal into the house on Yeet Street, he also intended to yeet his feelings for his best friend, Kai, as far away as possible.

To Aidan’s horror, his friends plan a sleepover at the haunted house the very next night. Terrance, Zephyr, and Kai are dead set on exploring local legend Farah Yeet’s creepy mansion. Aidan just wants to survive the night and retrieve his mortifying love story before his friends find it.

When Aidan discovers an actual ghost in the house (who happens to be a huge fan of his fiction), he makes it his mission to solve the mystery of Gabby’s death and free her from the house. But when Aidan’s journal falls into the wrong hands, secrets come to light that threaten the boys’ friendship. Can Aidan embrace the part of himself that’s longing to break free…or will he become the next victim to be trapped in the haunted house forever? 

About the Author: Preston Norton teaches environmental science to fifth graders. He is the author of Neanderthal Opens the Door to the Universe, Where I End & You Begin, and Hopepunk. He is married with three cats.

Thank you, Preston, for this reminder that we are guides to the kids in our lives!

Author Guest Post: “The Plant Rescuer and Following Dad’s Footsteps” by Matthew Rivera, Author of The Plant Rescuer

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“The Plant Rescuer and Following Dad’s Footsteps”

I have a close relationship with my father, and I grew up watching him tend the yard. Whether it was mowing the lawn, pulling apart clumps of irises, or delicately staking his jalapeño plants, my dad has a knack for gardening. Unfortunately, I didn’t inherit his skills. As an adult, I love to garden, and it’s become my passion. However, it’s taken a lot of hard work and perseverance. My backyard garden is a source of pride. I grow black-eyed Susans, hollyhocks, poppies, cosmos, dahlias, and a host of other flowering plants. I continuously learn through tips I’ve picked up from blogs, books I’ve found in my local bookstores, and of course, the library.

Growing up, my parents believed in giving me enough space to figure stuff out on my own. As a child, I spent Saturday’s pouring through stacks of books I’d find in my local library. Whether it was learning how to bake cakes from scratch, or figuring out how to raise chickens, the library was my go-to for discovery and learning. In THE PLANT RESCUER, I wanted Manny’s experience with problem-solving to reflect that of my own. Some have asked why Manny couldn’t research on a computer, like some children today. I like to point out that Manny’s family doesn’t own a computer. Besides, he loves the experience of going to the library with Nana.

THE PLANT RESCUER, isn’t entirely biographical. It’s a pastiche of childhood experiences coupled with a discussion I had with a gardener while living in Los Angeles. The gardener shared how he was working hard to send his child to college. My father wasn’t a professional gardener, but he worked a lot, which included graveyard shifts. Similarly, my dad was a hard-working parent that didn’t have a lot of time. This is why Manny feels it’s important to figure things out for himself, and frets over how to bring his ‘amigo’ back to life. The fretting part of the story is most-definitely autobiographical.

To this day, I’ll share gardening frustrations with my dad, and he’s always quick to point out that he mostly learned through a lifetime of trial and error. Unfortunately over the years, I’ve had to toss plenty of my own errors in the compost bin. Regardless of how frustrated I get, I remember the advice my dad once shared with me, it’s the act of gardening where we need to find joy. Getting the fennel to reach seven feet tall, or the pothos to wrap around the living room is icing on the cake.

Published May 21st, 2024 by Neal Porter Books

About the Book: Manny harnesses love, determination, and a visit to the library to care for his first plant and make his gardener father proud.

Manny comes from a long line of gardeners, and to him, the greatest gardener of all is his dad. Dad always knows what plants need. Even with no yard to garden in, he tends their small apartment into a lush jungle.

One day, the time comes for Manny to get his very own first plant! Dad trusts Manny to care for his new amigo, and Manny is determined to rise to the challenge. But watching Dad’s masterful work isn’t the same as knowing everything he knows, and Manny’s amigo keeps wilting, no matter what he tries! Dad would know what to do, but this is Manny’s plant, and he wants to be the one to save it.

Luckily, before his new amigo, Manny had another friend: the library! A day of research and a stack of books gets him back on track in no time. Manny’s plant grows bigger and bigger, until his room overflows with beautiful, healthy leaves, plentiful enough for Dad to share cuttings with the whole neighborhood. Now Manny can proudly say that he is the youngest in a long line of gardeners.

Longtime illustrator Matthew Rivera makes his authorial debut with a story that will warm every green-thumbed heart. Any child with an older role model whose shoes they dream of growing into will delight in Manny’s success and his zest for independent trial-and-error.

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

About the Author: Matthew Rivera grew up in Arizona, and worked for many years as an art director for agencies, large corporations and toy companies. He now lives in Portland, Oregon and is an author and illustrator of books for children. He can be found working at his desk with a large cup of coffee, while Mavis, his pet rabbit, yanks his shoelaces for extra greens.

Thank you, Matthew, for sharing this wonderful dad story with us on Father’s Day!

Author Guest Post: “Peer Tutoring, Musical and Otherwise” by Caroline Palmer, Author of Camp Prodigy

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“Peer Tutoring, Musical and Otherwise”

As far as I’ve heard, peer tutoring is typically intended to be the most beneficial for one person–the one being tutored. In contrast, while the tutor themselves may receive extra credit in a class, or some pocket change, they ultimately don’t learn anything new. Or at least, that’s how it seems. In reality, the few times I’ve been asked to explain a concept to one of my classmates, I’ve always walked away from the encounter feeling more assured in my knowledge and aware of the weaknesses I need to build up. Peer tutoring is much more reciprocal than most people assume!

When it comes to older tutors, the balance is naturally lopsided. One party is experienced and well versed in the topics of choice, and the other is not. With peer tutors, however, the participants are on equal footing. Both must work together to come up with answers to their questions. And being closer in age to your collaborator makes it easier to understand one another. Who can better explain a concept in a way that makes sense than someone on your level?

In high school, I took an orchestra class every year. It was a very collaborative environment! Something that stood out to me was a type of practice called sectionals. You and your peers who played the same specific instrument would group together for a set amount of time to make progress on the music you were learning. The head of the group–the one who sits in front–leads the sectional. I was first given this duty around 9th grade, and I remember being intimidated at the thought of having to take a leadership position, having to talk to people I didn’t know well, and having to instruct peers who were older than me. I’m sure that the first sectional I led was rough, but with practice, I was able to get used to and even enjoy the responsibility. Aside from helping my peers learn, I was also able to better identify the skills I needed to improve.

And apart from being educational, peer tutoring is a great chance to build interpersonal relationships. I became a better musician when I led those sectionals, and also, I grew as a person. I was able to become closer to my peers, despite how shy I tended to be in school. All of us were able to trust each other–they could trust that I would offer them helpful and clear advice, and I could trust that they’d point out places in the music where we all needed to agree on the best way to play. In addition to strengthening our friendships, this sort of peer tutoring also strengthened my self-confidence. If I hadn’t been pushed to lead, I might not have done as well in orchestra as I did, and I certainly would’ve been far less social with the rest of the class.

I can imagine that there are plenty of kids in schools who would be less than enthused at the chance to teach their peers. Whether because they see it as a waste of time, they doubt their own expertise in the subject matter, or they’re awkward talking to those they don’t know well–like I was. Still, I’d say that they should give it a shot. Sometimes, you have to push through the discomfort for a while to reap the benefits.

Tutor or tutee, if they still struggle with the material after doing their best, at least they might have a new friend willing to help them through it.

Published June 11th, 2024 by Atheneum Books for Young Readers

About the Book: Perfect for fans of Victoria Jamieson and Raina Telgemeier, this heartwarming middle grade graphic novel follows two nonbinary kids who navigate anxiety and identity while having fun and forming friendships at their summer orchestra camp.

After attending an incredible concert, Tate Seong is inspired to become a professional violist. There’s just one problem: they’re the worst musician at their school.

Tate doesn’t even have enough confidence to assert themself with their friends or come out as nonbinary to their family, let alone attempt a solo anytime soon. Things start to look up when Tate attends a summer orchestra camp—Camp Prodigy—and runs into Eli, the remarkable violist who inspired Tate to play in the first place.

But Eli has been hiding their skills ever since their time in the spotlight gave them a nervous breakdown. Together, can they figure out how to turn Tate into a star and have Eli overcome their performance anxieties? Or will the pressure take them both down?

About the Author: Caroline Palmer (they/them) is a nonbinary comic creator. Their work has been published in the comics anthology, A Taste of Home (2020) by Level Ground Comics, and they’ve been consistently updating their Webtoon Talent de Lune since 2016.

Thank you, Caroline, for reminding us to allow peers to collaborate and educate!